There is a murder most foul in the Thornbridge Manor, and you as Agent 47 actually have the chance to solve it in Hitman 3. Solving this murder through the Means, Motive and Opportunity Mission Story may actually give you the opportunity to commit your own murder — plus, it’s just a fun thing to do that’s unique to the series.
Alexa Carlisle, your target, has hired private investigator Phineas Whitmer to investigate the death of her brother, Zachary Carlisle. In classic Hitman fashion, you’re going to want to incapacitate Whitmer and take his clothing for a disguise; doing so will give you easy access to the manor. It will be difficult to grab Whitmer on his way to the manor, as there are many witnesses outside, so you will likely be best off sneaking inside and waiting until he’s alone after he speaks to family butler Mr. Fernsby.
After you take on the role of Phineas Whitmer, Fernsby and Alexa Carlisle will meet you near the manor’s entrance and debrief. You can then approach Fernsby and tell him that you are ready to begin the investigation.
The scene of the crime
Fernsby will take you to Zachary’s bedroom, where his body still lies in bed. Inside here are six clues, though just finding a few of them will advance the Mission Story. The most obvious one is Zachary’s Body, which you’ll scan with your camera; 47 will conclude that Zachary died via poison at 10 PM the night prior.
Look around the room to find Zachary’s Suicide Note (likely forged), Zachary’s Laptop, and a Whiskey Glass and Bottle to scan on his side table. If you go to your left from the room’s entrance, observe the bookcase — use Instinct and you’ll see that one of the books is highlighted. Give it a pull, and a sliding door will reveal a Secret Room with a peephole, along with a Mansion Floor Plan.
Family member alibis
Before you search for more tangible clues, it’s best if you interview all members of the family who are present for Alexa’s fake funeral. Mr. Fernsby will give you a list of suspects, and he’ll clarify that he himself doesn’t have an alibi. Go down to the first floor (Level 0 on the map) and northeast to the Dining Room. There, you’ll find Alexa’s middle child Edward Carlisle next to a piano. Ask him for his alibi, ask about Zachary, and then ask if they’ve seen anything unusual; these will all be successive prompts.
You’ll do the same with her eldest son Gregory Carlisle, his wife Emma Carlisle, and youngest child Rebecca Carlisle in the Sitting Room; Rebecca will be walking back and forth between the Sitting Room and the Trophy Room. Finally, you can find Gregory and Emma’s son Patrick Carlisle in the Library. Edward and Gregory’s alibis match up, so if you go to your Intel and Suspects in the menu, you’ll see an Alibi Confirmed indicator, ruling them out. You’ll have to dig a little more to see if everyone else’s story is up to snuff.
Clues throughout the manor
To investigate Patrick’s alibi, go over to the Staff Room in the southeast part of the manor. Patrick’s story involves some alone time with a staff member by the name of Rosie the night before; you’ll notice her sitting on a chair in distress. You can interview her and confirm Patrick’s side of the story.
As for the other suspects, it may be difficult to get into their rooms without a key. You’ll have to get into Rebecca’s room and Gregory and Emma’s room on the second floor, Mr. Fernsby’s Office on the first floor next to Staff Room, and eventually, the Greenhouse north of the manor. You can make use of a crowbar to get into all of these rooms — we found one outside the manor near some staff members.
Rebecca’s Room
On the southeast corner of the second floor (Level 1) is Rebecca’s Room. You can crowbar yourself in, or climb through the window. Inside her room will be two clues: Rebecca’s Notebook for scanning, which contains handwriting that does not match that of Zachary’s forged suicide note, and Rebecca’s Laptop, which proves her alibi. YOu can interact with a painting inside to open a secret door to the hallway.
Emma and Gregory’s Room
The northwest corner of the Level 1 is where you’ll find Emma and Gregory’s Room; There are two staff members nearby; if you brute force your way with a crowbar, make sure that the two are conversing and flirting by the hallway and not paying attention to you; the maid will occasionally walk over towards Emma and Gregory’s door. If you don’t want to crowbar your way in, you can sneak outside, walk on the ledges, and enter this room through a balcony. There are some essential clues here: a Greenhouse Key Chain, Shoes and Footprints, a Bulldog Cane, and a Letter From Emma’s Mother that reveals a shocking plot twist.
Mr. Fernsby’s Office
Head back downstairs to the southeast corner; as mentioned, the butler’s office is near the Staff Room. Without a key, use your crowbar to break in. It’s a small office, so it shouldn’t take long to find three killer clues. One is Mr. Fernsby’s Pills, which could act as a poison, but not the one that killed Zachary. Next is Mr. Fernsby’s List; finally, check the fireplace to find Zachary’s Half-Burnt Diary.
Greenhouse
With the Greenhouse Key Chain as a clue, go over to the Greenhouse behind the manor. If you forcefully enter with a crowbar, make sure that security and staff members aren’t looking at you. Look for Lab Equipment, which looks like the birthplace for some poison, and a Poison Dosage Table, which is pretty damming evidence.
Present your findings
With all of this information at your side, go back to Mr. Fernsby near the entryway. Tell him that you’ve made a conclusion and are ready to speak to Alexa Carlisle. He’ll lead you up to her office, and she’ll ask just whodunnit.
From here, you actually have options. If you’ve ruled out Zachary’s possible suicide, the option to suggest this scenario will be greyed out. Otherwise, you can point fingers at Emma, the most likely suspect, or you can use the evidence you found in Mr. Fernsby’s Office and make him your fall guy.
Either way, Carlisle will ask what you want for a reward. If you didn’t get the case file from the safe yet, you can ask her for that as payment. Otherwise, you can tell her to bill you. Now that you have her total trust, do what you got to do.
